Cognitive dissonance
IB PsychologyΒ· Sociocultural approachΒ· 11 min read
1. Core concept
Cognitive dissonance is the uncomfortable tension we feel when we hold two conflicting thoughts, or when our behaviour clashes with our beliefs. Because that discomfort is unpleasant, we are motivated to reduce it β usually by changing an attitude, adding a justification, or playing down the conflict, rather than by undoing what we have already done. It matters because it shows that attitudes often shift to fit past behaviour: what we do can reshape what we believe, not only the other way round.
2. Key studies
IB Psychology answers must be supported by named studies. Learn these to cite as evidence:
Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter (1956)
When a doomsday cult's prophecy failed, members β unable to undo their public commitment β reduced the dissonance by strengthening their belief and proselytising more fervently. β Shows dissonance resolved by changing belief rather than admitting error β the discomfort drove an attitude shift, not a behaviour change.
3. Evaluation (AO3)
Strength β explains counter-intuitive attitude change β It predicts a non-obvious pattern (people believe MORE after being disconfirmed, or after acting against their own attitude) that simple reward-based accounts do not.
Limitation β hard to measure directly β 'Dissonance' is an internal state inferred from behaviour, not observed, so the same results can often be re-explained by self-perception or impression management.
4. Scope
5. Common Pitfalls
Wrong move:
Cognitive dissonance is just feeling guilty, and it always makes people change their behaviour.
Why:
A frequently penalised misconception in IB Psychology exams.
Correct move:
It is specifically the tension between conflicting cognitions, and people most often reduce it by changing a BELIEF or adding a justification β frequently leaving the behaviour itself unchanged.
Going deeper
- Compliance techniquescommitment-based compliance techniques (foot-in-the-door, low-ball) work partly through the drive for consistency that dissonance describes (SOC_2).